Qatar says workers rights to become 'key legacy'

2022 World Cup hosts insist efforts to improve conditions will extend to hospitality too

DOHA:

Improved conditions for foreign workers will be a "key legacy" of the World Cup, Qatar's organisers insisted Friday as they marked the six month countdown to the event facing dogged questions over rights in the Gulf state.

The treatment of foreign labourers on Qatar's multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects has faced intense scrutiny as the country prepares for the start of the tournament on November 21. Rights for women and the LGBTQ community have also been criticised.

Efforts to improve conditions on construction sites will be extended to the hospitality and other sectors that also depend on foreign workers, the organising committee chief spokesperson Fatma Al-Nuaimi, said in a statement in response to AFP questions.

Bolstered worker rights would be part of the "human, economic and environmental legacy for decades to come," Nuaimi insisted.

"Our efforts in developing, fine-tuning and implementing our workers' welfare standards across our projects is one of the key legacies of the World Cup in Qatar."

She insisted Qatar "has made significant reforms regarding workers' welfare and labour reforms that have, and continue to set, new benchmarks across the region."

Amnesty International this week demanded that the world body FIFA set up a $440 million fund for "abused" foreign workers in Qatar.

Along with other groups it said there are still concerns about conditions for labourers working on construction sites where thousands have been injured and died in the past decade.

Qatar has since 2016 dismantled much of its Kafala labour system, which stopped a worker changing job or leaving the country without an employer's permission. A minimum wage has been introduced along with limits on the time that can be worked in extreme heat.

"There is still room for improvement and workers' welfare will remain a key focus between now, kick off, and beyond, with the focus rapidly shifting from construction to the hospitality and other sectors," Nuaimi said.

Thousands of labourers are expected to leave Qatar in the coming months as projects are ended or suspended for the World Cup while thousands of tourism workers are being sought for the event.

European supporter groups have expressed concerns about going to Qatar because of its conservative social laws which ban homosexuality, limit women's rights and restrict the drinking of alcohol.

"We are in the process of developing a guide for fans during the World Cup which will be released in due course. Every host country of a FIFA World Cup has its own cultural norms, which we hope visiting fans will respect."

Nuaimi said Qatar also wanted hosting the first World Cup in the Arab region "to help break down some longstanding stereotypes".

"Qatar and FIFA are committed to delivering a discrimination-free tournament that is welcoming to all. We simply ask fans to respect our culture and traditions."